The subject matter described and/or illustrated herein relates generally to lighting fixtures, and more particularly, to light emitting diode (LED) socket assemblies for lighting fixtures.
Solid-state lighting systems use solid state light sources, such as light emitting diodes (LEDs), and are being used to replace other lighting systems that use other types of light sources, such as incandescent or fluorescent lamps. The solid-state light sources offer advantages over the lamps, such as rapid turn-on, rapid cycling (on-off-on) times, long useful life span, low power consumption, narrow emitted light bandwidths that eliminate the need for color filters to provide desired colors, and so on.
LED lighting systems sometimes include LEDs soldered down to a printed circuit board (PCB). The PCB then is mounted on the base (e.g., a heat sink) of a lighting fixture. In known LED lighting systems, mechanical hardware and/or adhesives are used to mount the PCB or LED to the lighting fixture base. Specifically, the PCB is mounted on the base of the lighting fixture using screws, rivets, glue, double-sided tape, epoxy, or solder. Wires are soldered to the PCB to provide electrical power to the LED. But, such known methods for mounting on the lighting fixture base and providing electrical power to the LED are not without disadvantages. For example, mounting the PCB on the lighting fixture base using mechanical hardware and/or adhesives may be time consuming, which may increase the cost of assembling the LED lighting system. Soldering the electrical power wires to the PCB may also be a time consuming, and thus costly, process. Moreover, the solder connection between electrical power wires and the PCB may be less reliable than is desired. Problems may also arise when the LED and/or the PCB needs to be replaced. For example, it may be tedious and may require a skilled person to perform the removal and replacement of the LEDs and/or PCBs.